title: Health risk factors in caregivers of terminal cancer patients: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A large body of literature sustains the association between long-lasting caregiving for impaired significant others and increased health risk. Depression, elevated heart rate, and blood pressure at rest are key measures of health risk, mostly cardiovascular, which have been generally studied in caregivers of patients affected by dementia or chronic illness. Limited research has been conducted on emotional and cardiovascular impact of family caregiving for terminally ill cancer patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to examine psychological and cardiovascular responses in terminal cancer caregivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty relative caregivers who provided in-home or hospice care to terminally ill cancer patients and 20 age- and gender-matched controls were interviewed and assessed for emotional distress. Measures of cardiovascular risk, blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded at rest in 4 separate sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caregivers reported higher levels of depression, state anxiety, and more sleep dysfunctions than controls. They also revealed heightened systolic and diastolic blood pressure in some measurements. Moreover, elevation of heart rate was associated with caregiving length.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The caregiving stressor is associated with considerable psychological vulnerability, sleep disorders, and risk of alterations in the cardiovascular system, which seem to be modulated by caregiving characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows the importance of screening caregivers for psychological as well as physical symptoms and disorders. An awareness of burden of terminal cancer caregivers could lead to timely proactive preventive interventions on their physical and mental health, to decrease negative outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Unit, San Bortolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corà
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Partinico
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munafò
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palomba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*